I'm Sorry
by vickster51
Summary: This is a one-shot that is set immediately after the end of 8.07 Sour Grapes. Harvey may have said Donna was right about Fox, but he didn't apologise for the comment that caused her the most anger and this one shot tries to put that right!


**Happy Friday everyone! This is another short one-shot that I had to write after watching 8.07 and being left stunned by Harvey's comment about putting her in her job. Seriously Harvey?! It was something that by the end of the episode hadn't really been addressed and he didn't apologise for that (only for her being right about Fox), so I decided to write my own! So this one shot is set immediately after the end of 8.07. Please do let me know what you think in the reviews, as I love hearing people's thoughts!**

 **...**

 **I'm Sorry**

Harvey stood in silence for a few moments, watching as Donna wished Samantha a good night and disappeared out of the room. She didn't look back.

Walking in to Samantha's office had felt like the equivalent of entering the lion's den; two women who were less than impressed with him, having each other's backs and he wanted to hit himself for the childish jealousy it created within him.

He looked to Samantha, finding her eyes fixed on him, a mixture of curiosity and sympathy shining out of them. He cleared his throat and moved to leave. "We're good, right?"

With a small chuckle, she shook her head in bemusement at just how emotionally stunted this man seemed to be. "We are Harvey, but I think we both know it's not me that you need to talk to."

He met her eyes again briefly, but didn't reply, simply turning and heading out of the door. Samantha watched him go and let her mind process all the information she'd absorbed in the last half an hour about her two colleagues, as she tried to put the pieces together. There was so much subtext going on between them that she was certain there was a history she had yet to unearth. Maybe she'd dig, maybe she wouldn't, but it could wait until tomorrow, as she started to pack up for the night.

…..

As he approached his own office, Harvey felt the emotional punch on seeing the familiar desk outside. It was stupid and he knew it. Donna wasn't gone; she was just down the corridor, in her own office, doing a fantastic job. He was proud of her; proud of how far she'd come and yet he seemed incapable of shutting down his own insecurities. He still felt like he'd lost her. Every step she took forging her own independent path terrified him. Surely soon it would lead her further away than down the corridor, but out of the door to an adventure all her own.

He could feel the panic rising within him as he crossed the threshold and moved to his desk; the sensation of being out of control, with no idea how to fix the hurt he knew he'd caused. They'd been so good recently, maybe too good; too comfortable with each other and yet he'd pissed it all away with one petulant remark, which was replaying over and over again in his mind.

\- _What the fuck is wrong with you? You're not in fucking Mad Men! This is 2018, not 1960! Why did you say that?!_

With a sigh, he closed his eyes, before reaching for his phone and selecting a very recently added number, only marginally guilty about the late hour.

The phone was answered on the third ring. "Harvey, what can I do for you?"

The calming lilt of the accent immediately calmed him and he finally understood how Louis had survived the last decade. "I know it's late. I….can call tomorrow."

"I have an hour in the morning if you'd like to come in? 8:00 a.m.?"

Harvey nodded to himself. "Thanks Stan. I'll be there."

"Is everything alright, Harvey?"

That was the big question wasn't it? Was everything alright? How to even answer that. "I honestly don't know anymore."

Before his therapist could comment further, he let out a sigh. "I hurt someone today, someone I care about and I don't know how to make it right."

"Harvey, we can talk more tomorrow, but if you already know you caused someone pain, then you already know what you should do."

"Say I'm sorry," he whispered tiredly.

"If that's how you feel. Sometimes we cause pain to those we love. What matters is how we act afterwards."

Harvey sighed again. "Thanks Stan. Goodnight."

"I'll see you tomorrow morning, Harvey."

The line went dead and setting his phone on his desk, he rubbed his hands across his eyes. He was so tired of all of it. Maybe Stan could help, but he knew what he needed to do tonight, no matter how afraid he was.

…..

Donna set the empty glass down on the tray in her office and moved to put on her coat. She tried to tell herself the drink had been meaningless; a simple pat on the back to herself for a job well done and to congratulate herself on how well she was getting along with Robert. Yet, she knew it was a lie. It had been a stalling tactic, plain and simple, a way of holding off on going home, in the hope that he'd come to her after being such a dick that afternoon.

His words had stunned her; setting off a spark inside her that had been so powerful in its intensity it had caused the words to leave her mouth. She'd never sworn at Harvey before and she had to admit, it had felt so damn satisfying.

\- _Back to normal, my ass. What the hell does that even mean?_

They were a mess and she knew it and it had been that way for longer than she wanted to admit. Maybe taking the job with Stu wouldn't have been such a stupid idea; maybe it still wouldn't be, she pondered, as she wrapped herself in her coat. All she wanted was to go home, climb in to bed and shut off for a few hours. Tomorrow was another day.

"Hey…"

His voice startled her and she cast her eyes across the room to the door. He was hovering on the threshold, as if he'd combust if stepping inside without permission.

"I was just heading home, Harvey. Whatever it is, can it wait until tomorrow?"

He swallowed at the tone of her voice. She sounded tired and sad and it made him ache, knowing that he was responsible for causing her pain. She was picking up her bag from her desk when he dared speak again.

"I'm sorry."

It came out as a whisper and for a second he was certain she hadn't heard him, until she raised her eyes to his. He knew in years gone by, him apologising would be comical, treated as just another act in their banter; she'd ask what for and he'd say don't push it and all would be fine again. This wasn't one of those times and they both knew it, resulting in a heavy silence engulfing the space between them.

Stepping just inside the office, he let out a breath. "I'm sorry for what I said. It was out of line."

Donna crossed her arms and seeing her do so felt worse than a slap. She was protecting herself from him and he was sure he'd never despised himself quite so much.

Watching him across the room, Donna had no idea what to say and the one question she wanted answered, she'd never ask. As if reading her thoughts, he answered it anyway.

"I didn't mean it."

Closing his eyes momentarily, as his mind recalled the earlier row, he searched her eyes as he continued, hoping to see he was getting through to her. "You did earn this, Donna," he murmured, his hand gesturing to the room around them, the physical symbol of who she was within the firm now. "And I didn't put you here. You put yourself here and if I wasn't such a coward I'd have done it a long time ago."

She could feel the emotions building within her, as her chest started to ache and her stomach began to tighten and still her voice deserted her. He took another step towards her, but maintained a respectable distance, despite the overwhelming need he had to reach out to her, because this wasn't about him; this was about Donna.

His mouth felt suddenly dry and he swallowed; his eyes never leaving hers, in case she had any doubt of the truth of his words. He wouldn't look away, no matter how ashamed he felt.

"I know you're angry and I know this doesn't magically change that, but I needed you to know that I'm sorry and that I do respect her and your place here; that I've _always_ respected you."

It was Donna's turn to release a shaky breath, before biting her lower lip. Although she'd hoped he'd come and apologise, she hadn't really believed he would and so seeing him in front of her, hearing the truth in his voice, floored her. He'd always been a little unpredictable, even when she'd come to know him so well. It was one of the qualities that had both attracted her to him and unnerved her at the same time and although he was right; that this didn't fix everything, it was a start.

"Thank you, Harvey." She was surprised by how steady her voice sounded.

"You don't need to thank me. It's the truth. And I wanted you to know it."

Donna didn't reply immediately; simply giving a small nod, before she moved across the room, stopping when she was level with him, their shoulders almost touching. "Thank you anyway," she murmured, letting her eyes meet his and yet finding herself unable to read him. The connection they'd always had seemed frighteningly fragile to him as they stood there and he needed to feel it again, to try and begin to put the pieces back together.

She felt his fingers brush hers and closed her eyes briefly to stem the emotional tide that was gathering behind her eyes. Opening them again, she met his gaze, as her fingers brushed his in return, squeezing them gently. It was only a small gesture, but it's all she had to offer now, a sign that they weren't beyond repair.

"Goodnight, Harvey."

He offered her a small smile, as her fingers slipped out of his own. "Goodnight, Donna."

With that, she walked away, through the door and out of sight, leaving him once again standing alone in her office. Tonight had been a step, but he was realising there was so much more he needed to work through before things could get truly better. Turning to leave, of one thing he was certain – 8.00 a.m. couldn't come quickly enough.

….

 _I hope you enjoyed it, but either way, let me know what you think in the reviews! I'll hopefully be updating my other stories soon (how do I have three on-going ones right now?)!_


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